PATH “Making It Home” Campaign

CLIENT: PATH

ROLE: Lead Illustrator & Designer

THE BRIEF: PATH set out to create a heartfelt fundraising campaign aimed at raising awareness and encouraging donations across four key California cities: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and Santa Barbara. Each illustrated postcard combined the feel of a classic travel souvenir with imagery highlighting local homelessness and the presence of PATH’s services in the area.
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The interior of each card featured a real success story from someone PATH had helped, alongside information on how recipients could donate and get involved. Postcards were selected as the primary medium due to their historical success with PATH’s audience, and the artwork was also adapted for social promotion.

Angled photo mockup of the folded Los Angeles postcard from the PATH “Making It Home” campaign. The front design features illustrated landmarks like the Santa Monica Pier and Hollywood sign alongside scenes of homelessness, including tents and individuals sleeping outdoors. The card is partially open, highlighting its physical greeting card format.
Interior view of the Los Angeles postcard from PATH’s “Making It Home” campaign, shown in an angled photo mockup. The left panel features a photo of a smiling woman and her daughter along with a printed success story about how PATH helped them transition out of homelessness. The right panel includes donation instructions and a call-to-action encouraging support, framed by orange borders and illustrated accents.
Angled mockup of the opened Los Angeles postcard from PATH’s “Making It Home” campaign, showing both the illustrated front cover and the back panel. The front features vibrant landmarks and scenes of homelessness, while the back includes a short message from PATH, a hashtag for social sharing, and space for recipient addressing, designed to mimic a traditional mailed postcard.
processthe work

Creative Direction

The visual direction was grounded in the idea of travel postcards — familiar, warm, and rooted in place. Each illustration needed to feature iconic city landmarks, a depiction of homelessness in the community, and the local PATH facility. Together, these elements created a narrative of both hardship and hope. The travel postcard style allowed the campaign to subvert expectations and tell a deeper story through illustration.

Process

The creative process began with research on each city, identifying key visual markers and PATH building references. From there, I sketched rough compositions using Procreate and Photoshop, refining them into tighter drafts for feedback and approval. Final artwork was created in Adobe Illustrator, combining clean vector detail with vibrant color to create a consistent, high-impact visual language across all four cities.

Collaboration

Throughout the project, I worked directly with PATH’s internal marketing team. They provided strategic insights, helped shape the tone of the campaign, and offered valuable feedback at every stage — from concept to final artwork.

Outcome

The postcards were mailed directly to donors and community members in each of the four featured cities, deepening local engagement. The illustrations were also extended into digital content for PATH’s social media channels, broadening the campaign’s visibility and impact.

The work

Illustrated postcard-style artwork reading “Greetings From Los Angeles,” combining iconic landmarks like the Griffith Observatory, Hollywood sign, Los Angeles Public Library, Santa Monica Pier, and PATH’s downtown facility. The foreground shows scenes of homelessness including tents, a shopping cart, and unhoused individuals along a chain-link fence, creating a visual contrast between tourist imagery and housing insecurity. Illustrated postcard reading “Greetings From Santa Barbara,” featuring the historic Santa Barbara Mission, palm trees, a coastal pier, and a pelican. In the foreground, a person sleeps on a bench with a blanket, next to a cardboard sign that reads “Anything Helps” and a shopping cart filled with belongings. The local PATH facility is shown in the background, integrating a message of support within a picturesque cityscape. Illustrated postcard reading “Greetings From San Jose,” featuring recognizable landmarks such as the Winchester Mystery House, The Tech Interactive museum, and the San Jose skyline. In the foreground, a person is sleeping on a bench with belongings, alongside a cardboard sign that reads “Anything Helps” and a shopping cart. The PATH facility is shown among the downtown buildings, juxtaposing Silicon Valley’s prosperity with the city’s visible homelessness crisis. Illustrated postcard reading “Greetings From San Diego,” blending iconic sites such as the Unconditional Surrender statue, Mission San Diego de Alcalá, the Gaslamp Quarter, and coastal landscapes. The foreground includes unhoused individuals gathered around a burning barrel, tents in a field and on the beach, and the local PATH facility depicted among the downtown buildings. The piece contrasts San Diego’s beauty with the visible reality of homelessness across the city.

programs used

ProcreateAdobe PhotoshopAdobe IllustratorAdobe Indesign
© Neil Vilppu 2025